Scarlet Memories
by Laine Klein
Summary: There are so many questions that Kurapika wanted answers, and he thought he would be able to find the answer if he go back to his homeland. What will Kurapika find when he returns to Rukuso province? Adventure/ Family/ Mystery/ Slight romance/ Fem Kurapika
1. Dream

Scarlet Memories

May 2012

Reminiscence 01 – Dream

There was the creaking sound of burning woods, the blazing scarlet color of fire, and the gray collection of smoke in the air. It was the frightening scene of a burning village, my beloved and once beautiful village I have ever known, my home, and my whole world.

Then, there was a little girl with long, light-brown hair and pair of blue eyes, standing at a distance, looking anxiously at the burning village before her.

"Please, go back," she said, clutching her own hands in front of her chest like she was praying.

The wind that swaying her hair is making the fire blaze strongly as if it is not enough to burn the village, but want to spread toward the nearby forest.

"Please, go back," she repeated. But then a strong gush of wind from above troubled her greatly. She looked at the direction where the wind came from and saw an eagle-like creature which is double the size of a full grown human.

The eagle-like creature continuously flapped its wings as it approached the little girl and grabbed her body with its large claws and flew away from the village.

"No!" the little girl shouted out of fear as she realized that the creature was taking her away from the village. Reaching her hand toward the burning village, the little girl can only call of a certain someone.

"Onii-san!"

000

Kurapika fluttered open his eyes. He was currently riding a train, and the first thing he saw was the blinding light from the sun that suddenly penetrated his eyes as the train just got out from the dark tunnel on its way.

He was on his way back to the Nostrade Mansion from a short vacation that was especially given to him due to his extra service for Light Nostrade.

'I fell asleep again,' Kurapika thought to himself.

In the recent weeks, Kurapika was not able to have the chance for a quality sleep because of his many activities and now his tired body is getting the better of him. Even if he doesn't want it, his body would try to get even a short nap whenever there is a chance and this is just one of those chances.

'And that dream again.' It started after Kurapika recovered from a sickness due to an unknown reason after he thrust Kuroro's heart with his judgment chain, and whenever Kurapika fall asleep, that certain dream would most likely be his dream. It's not all the time, yes, but to dream about something repetitively is just too much.

That dream, it's always the same. The girl standing in front of his burning home and her words, they never change. And whenever she called for a certain someone, he would wake up for whatever reason. Sometimes, it frustrates him. Why his dream was like that? Who is that girl? And, what does she mean to her words?

Another thing about the girl in his dream is that, despite not knowing her identity, there is a feeling of familiarity that she is giving him which leads to another question: Why is that girl looks so familiar, but also not? She even wears the tribal clothing of the Kuruta tribe. Is she a Kuruta? If so, then, why he can't remember her?

There are so many questions, but without answer. Will he be able to find out the answers somehow? Where it will lead him if he ever found out?

00000


	2. Shocking proposal

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 02 – Shocking proposal

He is wearing that mask again. That mask of indifference that he always displays to everyone. But Senritsu cannot be fooled by such mask. She can hear it; the sounds that Kurapika's heart emanates.

They are currently on a hotel in the northern country with the objective of attending the coming mid-year auction that will be held in that country. Senrutsu was walking on one hallway of the hotel when she saw Kurapika walking out from the elevator. She was about to greet him, but Kurapika continued on his way, passing Senritsu by without even a word of greeting, as if hurrying on something. With a worried expression on her face, Senritsu looked at Kurapika's retreating back before following him.

"Oh! Kurapika!" It was Basho. "The boss is looking for you," he said upon seeing the current leader of Nostrade's body guards and somewhat the manager of Nostrade's business.

"I'll see him later," Kurapika answered without stopping.

Basho looked at Senritsu with 'what's with him?' look on his eyes. Senritsu sighed upon seeing the man's gaze and looked back at the corner where Kurapika disappeared.

Sadness... hatred... and confusion… those were the sound that Senritsu had heard from Kurapika's heart. It makes her sad and anxious, but she cannot do anything. Kurapika is just too stubborn. He doesn't even tried bothering about the people on his surroundings who are trying to give an effort to help him, or to even bother about his own health.

Lately these weeks, Kurapika has been always making himself busy, either on his work for the Nostrade, or on other activities that is unknown to her. No, it's not totally unknown to her. She knew a part of it. It was about collecting the scarlet eyes. What she doesn't know is how Kurapika works on the matter. There is another thing which made Senritsu even more worried. Kurapika is preparing for the upcoming battle against Genei Ryodan. As Kurapika told her before, that somehow, he knows that one day, the spider head will be freed from his chain. Senritsu perfectly remembers the conversation they had that day.

Flashback

It was when Senritsu noticed Kurapika at the veranda of the Nostrade mansion talking to someone at the phone.

"Thanks for notifying me," he said to the person over the phone as he ended the call. *(ova 3-3)

"Kurapika," She called as she walked closer to him, while Kurapika turned to face her. "The boss is looking for you, he wants to have a talk with you," she informed him.

They walked to the mansions hallway, passing Neon's room and arrived in front of their boss' office. Kurapika entered the room, but Senritsu chose to stay outside and waited for Kurapika. A few minutes later, Kurapika got out from the room and walked toward his own room.

"The person on the phone a while ago," Senritsu brought the topic as she followed Kurapika, "is it your friend?"

"Yes. It was Killua," he answered as they continued walking. "I know a day will come," Kurapika suddenly said, "that I will have to fight him."

Senritsu doesn't have to ask who he is talking about; she heard most of the conversation anyway. It was about the probability that the spiders will find someone with the ability to remove one's nen that are used against other people.

"Do you really have to fight him, Kurapika?" Senritsu asked in concern. "And I don't think it's not just him, but all of them, the whole gang of spiders. It's dangerous," she said, worried.

"I know," was the only thing he said.

End of flashback

Senritsu can't help but sigh at the memory. Every passing day, she is becoming more and more worried as Kurapika is becoming more and more determined to take revenge for his clan. 'What can I do help him?' she asked herself sadly.

000

Kurapika continued walking the hallway as he turned to one corner and entered the comfort room. He closed the door behind him and headed in front of the mirror, looking at his reflection.

If he doesn't wear his contacts back there, while he was walking at the hotel lobby, Senritsu and Basho would have seen his eyes, burning scarlet.

"Ravens' wings," he murmured. "What are they?" he asked himself, still looking on the mirror, seeing the blank look on his face. The conversation he had accidentally overheard while he was on his (so-called) mission (that is retrieving the scarlet eyes), worries him a lot.

It's been almost a year since the York Shin auction had occurred and another auction will be held in the mid-year somewhere in the north. As Kurapika made some advance research for their coming visit on the county, he found out that a mafia citizen of the said country is keeping a pair of scarlet eyes. Not wanting to wait for the auction to be finished and getting to the point of looking for the new owner (that is only a waste of time, he thought), Kurapika decided to retrieve the scarlet eyes as soon as possible.

Flashback

The night was cool with the soft wind that giving him a refreshing sensation as he jumps from one building to another, wearing his disguise (a black turtleneck long sleeve, a dark blue pants, a shade, a black wig and a black hat). As he arrived in front of a certain mansion, he hid himself in the dark, making an observation to the mansion.

Kurapika cannot help, but sigh as he observed the mansion in front of him. No matter how he terms his activities as a mere retrieval, what he is doing now is still called… thievery. Right, stealing became one of Kurapika's new professions right after they returned from York Shin. He had no other choice anyway. He would not be able to collect all of the scarlet eyes just by winning them on an auction.

Now Kurapika has become an expert on the matter due to the fact that he had been training for it: sneaking inside a mansion without being noticed, moving smoothly at every corner while pinning something at the cameras (so then when you looked at the control room, it is as if nothing is happening), even the security lock where the scarlet eyes are kept… he can easily open them.

After taking the scarlet eyes, Kurapika immediately exited the volt and relocked it. As he was running the corridors of the mansion, voices of two men from a nearby room reached his ears. When the voices' words become more audible, a certain word made him stops on his trail.

"A Kuruta, you say," he heard the voice.

"Yes, it is," another voice said. "You're the only one I told about this."

"If your information is true, then I know a group that we can use for that."

"Tell me so we can make a deal."

"The Ravens' Wings, do you remember them?"

"Ah! Yes, they are the group that we used five years ago to infiltrate the Kuruta tribe."

Upon hearing those words, Kurapika's eyes widened and blazed in scarlet behind his contact lenses. Kurapika shook his head to clear his mind. He's still on the middle of a mission and he needs to get outside immediately.

Kurapika resumed form running through the corridors of the mansion, removing the pins from the cameras. Upon getting himself out of the mansion, he ran to the street and started jumping from one building to another, heading to an apartment that he has temporarily rented to safe keep the scarlet eyes on his hands and to change his outfit. After that, he immediately returned to the Nostrade's hotel.

End of flashback

Sighing at the memory, Kurapika closed his eyes to calm himself. It's already past 9 in the evening and he was just gone for about an hour. What could be the boss needs him from?

000

Facing the glass door leading to the veranda of his room, Light Nostrade has been looking outside and contemplating on something when three soft knocks was heard from the door.

"Enter," he said as he turned to face his guest.

Kurapika entered the room upon hearing his boss and closed the door behind him.

"You are looking for me?" he asked.

"Yes," Light answered. "I had been actually thinking for a proposal."

"What is it?"

Light cleared his voice before stating his proposal. "I am thinking," he paused, "if you would accept an engagement of marriage with my daughter."

"Me-marriage?" Kurapika asked, taken aback by his boss' statement. He shook his head lightly to remove the shock. "Are you serious about that?" he added.

"As I told you earlier, I had been thinking about it. I just thought, ever since Neon lost her ability to predict, you have been helping me to recover. Look Kurapika, if you accept my proposal, you will become my heir. That would be a better opportunity for you that being a mere employee. Isn't it?" Light explained.

Kurapika is silent for a while, looking at the floor. "I can't," he said afterward as he looked at his boss again. "I can't accept it."

"I will give you time to consider. Just think about it," Light encouraged his trusted advisor. "You might change your mind afterward."

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Kurapika asked blankly.

"That's all"

"If you'll excuse me then."

Light nodded his head and Kurapika bowed to his boss before leaving.

Upon exiting the room of his boss, Kurapika headed to his room immediately. He sighed.

'If you accept my proposal, you will become my heir. That would be a better opportunity for you that being a mere 't it?' his boss' voice echoed in his mind.

It is true that becoming the Nostrade's heir is indeed a better opportunity for him. He will gain a lot of advantages like, a stronger power in term of control over the Nostrade's business.

'But it's not right,' he thought. If he would accept the engagement, what about Neon then? Will she be happy about her father's decision?

Right, Kurapika is more concerned about others happiness. If it is his own happiness, then it doesn't matter. But more importantly, completing his mission of retrieving all the scarlet eyes and to avenge his clan is his priority. Other than that, there are still a lot of things to think about and he cannot let the others to be involved in his own problems.

'I have to do something,' he thought. Now that he is being targeted by the mafia, he has to be extra careful.

00000


	3. Back to Rukuso

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 03 – Back to Rukuso

"Why don't you take a vacation for a while, Kurapika?" Senritsu asked to the Kuruta beside her.

"Eh?" Kurapika asked, a little bit taken aback. He didn't get the question clearly as he was not paying attention. He had been spacing out before Senritsu cut his thoughts.

They are now inside a mall, accompanying Neon on her shopping spree. It has been a while since they last did this kind of activity, and now that the Nostrade recovered from their loss (thanks to Kurapika), they got back to their usual routine which includes the thing they are doing right now as Neon also got back to her usual hobby (shopping).

"Why don't you take a vacation?" She repeated for her friend.

"Oh." Kurapika made out as he thought for a while. "Actually, I had been thinking about that. And it's not just a vacation I am planning to take."

"Eh?" Senritsu asked, not understanding Kurapika's point.

"The truth is, I am planning to resign," Kurapika said.

"Really?!" Senritsu asked in surprise. She didn't expect that to Kurapika. As she knows, Kurapika is using the Nostrade's influence for his mission on collecting the scarlet eyes.

Kurapika nodded." I am planning to talk about it to the boss later."

Senritsu felt a little sadness because of the thought that Kurapika will be leaving them since she had become close to him through the months they have been together. But other than that, although Senritsu only wanted Kurapika to take a vacation and at least to free him from stress even just for a while, she is also glad for her friend's decision.

"Good luck then," She said, smiling at him.

"Thanks."

And they continued to their activity.

000

"Please forgive me," Kurapika said to his boss who was sitting on his chair before his table at his office, "but I really can't accept your proposal. And one more thing, I am planning to resign on my job."

"Is that-? Light Nostrade suddenly stood up from his chair.

"This is not because of your proposal." Kurapika cut in before his boss can finish his question. "It's a different matter. So please accept my resignation letter," he added as he handed over his letter of resignation to his boss.

"When are you going to leave then?" Light asked after he seated back in his position while trying to calm himself, thinking that he had no right to stop Kurapika from leaving.

"I have to leave immediately."

"I really wanted you to become the hair of my business," Light said as he put his elbows at the top of his table and rested his forehead on his clasped hands, feeling a slight headache. "But if you really want to leave, then I cannot stop you."

"Thank you for everything," Kurapika said, bowing his head. "If you'll excuse me then," and he left the room of his boss.

000

"Be careful Kurapika," Senritsu said to her friend who was about to leave them for his own journey. They are now outside the Nostrade's mansion.

Kurapika, who is wearing his red garment that he used when he, Gon and Leorio fetched Killua from Kukuru Mountain, nodded his head to his fried.

"I'm taking off," he said as he tucked his usual brown bag on his shoulder.

"Have a nice trip."

Kurapika nodded again and turned his back to take his leave. When he got out from the gate of the mansion, a thought suddenly entered in his mind.

'I guess I should bring them with me.' He stopped for a while to contemplate then decided to do as how he thought and continued on his way. But fist, he needs to stop at a mall to buy some supplies and other things.

After buying everything he needs, Kurapika immediately set off and went to a certain place where he would get the 'things' that he wanted to bring. As he arrives at his destination, which is an old mansion, he fist looked around the surrounding to see if it's safe for him to continue.

When he confirmed that it's all clear, he walked over a corner of the mansion then top something on the wall with his nen. As he did that, a secret passageway was revealed. Kurapika entered the passage way, and upon entering, the entrance immediately closed.

Inside the passageway is a pitch dark hallway. Kurapika closed his eyes for a while then opened them again as he used gyo to see the nen illumination. The hallway is not like any other hallway that has a single straight path or two, it is like a maze, but Kurapika knows where all the paths will lead so he just walked the maze without encountering any problem until he reached a certain room.

The room is empty, but it is not as simple as it may seem. Kurapika entered and stopped at the center of the room. He bent down and did the same thing that he did to the wall a while ago. After that a part of the floor moves, revealing another secret passageway going down.

Kurapika stood up and entered the passageway. He walked down the stairway which is attached to the wall in a circular manner, until he reached the final step. And another hallway greeted him. He continued on his tract until he reached his final destination: a large door leading to a room.

Reaching the knob of the large door, Kurapika closed his eyes for a while, sighing. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes again, turning the knob of the door and entered the room. With the torches attached at each corner to illuminate the spacious room Kurapika stopped from using his gyo and looked at the objects in front of him which are the reason why he is in that room.

In front of him are the scarlet eyes that he managed to collect over the time. He hid them in that place because that mansion is the safest place to hide them. The mansion was abandoned for a long time and no one dared to get into or to even get near it. It is like a haunted mansion. Kurapika found the mansion a few months ago and decided to study its structure. And that is how he found the passageways and every secret inside the mansion.

Kurapika stared at the eyes for a while before walking the space between him and them. He reached them one by one and put them on a suitcase that he bought from the mall a while ago. When Kurapika finished storing the scarlet eyes inside the suitcase, he immediately got out of the mansion, repeating the same process that he did on entering until he reached the last secret door leading to the outside.

It's already late afternoon when Kurapika reached the last door as he looked at the setting sun with his left hand slightly coving his eyes to prevent himself from being dazzled. 'I guess I have to hurry up a little.' He thought as he left the church and went to the nearest train station.

Arriving at the station, Kurapika bought a ticket without using his hunter license and waited for a while for the train to come. And finally, after a few seconds of waiting the sound an arriving train was heard. He entered the train when it stopped and went to a private room.

'This would be a long trip,' he thought, taking his sit as he closed his eyes.

'It's been five years,' Kurapika remembered. It's been five years since the last time he saw that place and he will be going to visit it now. It was the place where he was born and the place where he grew up. But it was also the place where all the nightmares have started, the place where the bloody massacre of his clan had occurred.

Kurapika shook his head to clear the thoughts off. Instead of being caught by such memory, Kurapika tried to remember the good ones. But then, he felt as if there is something wrong. Why can't he remember clearly? As if some part of his memories were taken away from him.

After the massacre occurred, Kurapika never really thought about the past. All he can remember is the sound of the wooden swords, the running horses and the fire that burned everything. He can remember the people of his clan, yes. But, what about his own self? Something is really wrong with him. His memory about his own self is not clear.

'What could be the reason for it?' Kurapika asked himself as he contemplated on a certain happening. 'Could it be him?' In his mind was a man of about 45 to 50 years old, having a long raven hair and a pair of dark obsidian eye that looks so familiar.

Kurapika met the man two years ago, but that's all he can remember. He knows some basic information about that man. He was a blacklisted criminal which Kurapika learned while he was searching for any information that might have a connection to the spider.

That man is also the reason why Kurapika is searching for the Ryodan. It was from that man he got to learn the name of the said group of bandits. 'I guess this is a good chance to clear everything,' he thought.

It's already around 6:00 in the evening when the train arrived at his destination, but he decided to continue on his journey. He can eat and sleep anywhere anyway. But of course, he still needs to ride a taxi to go to the airport.

It is a long way travel to go to his homeland. After the airplane, he will be riding another train and then a bus. And after that, he has to walk to a long path; he will be walking to the farthest part of the province, enter a forest, climb some mountain, cross a river and reach the end of the forest. And finally he will arrive in his long lost village.

00000


	4. The girl in his dream

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 04 – The girl in his dream

When Kurapika arrive to his homeland, a certain dream was the first thing that came to his mind. That dream was actually the reason for his visit in his homeland. It was his dream about the little girl with long, light-golden hair.

'Please, go back,' her words reverberated in his mind. Kurapika continuously contemplated on the thing as he walked the lush forest the surround his village.

'Who actually she really is, and who is the person she was calling to?' he asked himself. He continued walking on the forest until he arrived at the entrance of his village.

As Kurapika walks the entrance slowly, he cannot help but to feel a kind of anxiety in his heart as if something is not right in the place. In his memory, the place was destroyed by a huge fire. But why it is like this? Every single house in the place is standing still. There are few damages, though, and dark marks of the fire are everywhere.

Kurapika continued walking until he reached the center of the village, but then, he suddenly stopped as he felt a presence in one of the houses in front of him. 'Is there someone here?' He looked around to find out what it was and his question was answered by the sound of a door that was being opened.

Kurapika turned his head to where he heard the sound and his eyes widened upon doing so. Indeed, there is a person in this place and it's not just any person.

Standing beside the completely opened door was his worst enemy: Kuroro Lucifer, wearing a black trouser, a white polo shirt with a black jacket atop. With his hair down, in which Kurapika have seen for the first time, he thought he looked younger that he is supposed to be. The man was equally shocked with him, but then he smiled as he recovered fast.

"It's you," he said, as if glad to see the Kuruta, and then he walked toward the unmoving Kuruta in front of him.

"Kuroro Lucifer?" Kurapika asked in disbelief. His voice is wavering and his eyes are almost turning to scarlet, still in the state of shock.

"No other than me," the man answered with the smile plastered on his face. He stopped walking when he was just a few feet away from Kurapika.

Kurapika glared at the man upon recovering. "What are you doing here?" he asked, agitated.

"Looking for someone," Kuroro answered truthfully. 'Or should I say, waiting?' He added to himself.

Kurapika furrowed his eyebrows. "Someone?" he asked, confuse at the man's words. "Are you expecting to find someone here even though you know perfectly that no one is living in this place for five years?" he asked in annoyance.

"That's right. And I did found you," Kuroro answered as he pointed to Kurapika. Then, a thought suddenly entered in his mind. "Oh! And one thing," he said.

"What?" Kurapika asked, still glaring at the man.

"This," he said as he summoned his skill book.

Upon seeing what the man is doing, Kurapika's eyes widened in horror. 'No way' he thought. He can still feel the chain on Kuroro's heart. But how can the man use his nen when he is still bound?

Kurapika shrugged the though and immediately dropped his baggage to ready himself with a fighting stance. He then summoned his chain as his eyes turned scarlet.

Seeing the Kuruta's reaction amused the spider head. 'Interesting,' he thought as he smirked. He walked toward Kurapika with the book on his hand. Then, the battle began.

000

Kurapika continuously made at attack to the spider head with his chain, but his attacks are all useless. Kuroro dodged all his attacks so easily with his ridiculous speed. He is too fast, too fast for Kurapika to strike him even once.

Kurapika continued on launching his attacks when suddenly… the man disappeared.

'Where did he-?' Kurapika did not finish his mental question as he looked around to find the man. With his peripheral vision, he saw a small light to his side. And when he turned to that side, it was too late. A nen ball was lounge onto him and he was struck by it, but at least he managed to cover his body with his nen as he raised his hands in front of him.

'Oops! I over did it.' Kuroro thought when he saw his nen ball strikes Kurapika.

And then he heard sound of something. Its sounds like a crystal had been broken. 'What was-?' He didn't able to finish his question when a blinding light suddenly spread throughout the place coming from Kurapika.

Kuroro immediately covered his eyes with his left hand and banished his skill book to also use his right hand as a cover. It's too bright and he can't see what is happening.

"Kurapika!" he shouted to the Kuruta. He didn't really mean to harm him. He just wanted to see the Kuruta's reaction, that's all. But before he knew it, he was already enjoying in fighting (or playing in his part) with the Kuruta.

After a few minutes, the light disappeared. Kuroro opened his eyes to see what had happened and immediately saw the unconscious Kurapika lying on the ground.

"Kurapika!" he called as he run toward him. He knelt to reach Kurapika's neck so he could find out if he is still alive. When he found the pulse on his neck, a sign of relief escaped his mouth.

The pulse is still there. It's week but it's there and that is what important to him. He then looked over Kurapika's body to see if something is missing. But instead finding a missing part, he saw a change in the blonde's body. He frowned.

'A girl?' he asked to himself. Then, he remembered the sound of the crack he heard earlier. He looked at Kurapika's left ear and his suspicion was confirmed. The earring (he remembered that Kurapika wears an earring on his left ear) was gone.

'So, that sound was from the earring. It did not able to handle the force then,' he thought. 'Wait... Force? ... Could it be?' He looked at Kurapika's face wonderingly. 'Now, this is something,' he thought as a smile formed on his lips.

000

Gentle snow drops are falling from the sky, slowly covering the ground. A little girl with long light golden hair is running around, playing with the snow as gentle laughter escapes from her small lips.

Then, the little girl stopped from running and turned as she faced toward my inexistent body. I'm not there, and I know it is not me she is looking at.

She smiled and started playing again.

As the little girl run, a blinding light started to envelop everything. I tried to open my eyes. Endless whiteness surrounded me. And then, the scenery changed. I am now floating with the clouds. Bellow me, is the village that I loved dearly. Happiness surrounds the place as the people joyfully doing their activities.

The scenery change again, going back to the endless whiteness and memory started to flow in my brain. And then, I remembered. The girl standing in front of the burning scene on my beloved village, anxiously waiting for a certain person to return by her side... I know it is not me she was waiting for, or the onii-san she called at the last of my dream… but when she said the words 'go back,' my heart was deeply troubled… in my dream, it was as if it is directed to me. Right, it was directed for me to go back to myself and return to her; she is after all, the original me whom I unconsciously left behind.

Memories continued flowing in my brain. But wait; there are some other memories that are not mine. What are these? No, they are not memory. They are like some sort of information. As they continuously flow in by brain, I also started to realize what they really are until there is nothing more to flow.

000000

So, what do you thing of this?

Please review.


	5. Flasback to Kuroro's arrival

Scarlet Memories

Previously on Scarlet Memories...

"Kurapika!" Kuroro called as he run toward the unconscious Kuruta. He knelt to reach Kurapika's neck so he could find out if he is still alive. When he found the pulse on his neck, a sign of relief escaped his mouth.

The pulse is still there. It's week but it's there and that is what important to him. He then looked over Kurapika's body to see if something is missing. But instead finding a missing part, he saw a change in the blonde's body. He frowned.

'A girl?' he asked to himself. Then, he remembered the sound of the crack he heard earlier. He looked at Kurapika's left ear and his suspicion was confirmed. The earring was gone.

'So, that sound was from the earring. It did not able to handle the force then,' he thought. 'Wait... Force? ... Could it be?' He looked at Kurapika's face wonderingly. 'Now, this is something,' he thought as a smile formed on his lips.

* * *

Reminiscence 05 – Flasback to Kuroro's arrival

'Could you really be the one I am looking for?' Kuroro asked himself as he was contemplating on the past occurrence before his arrival in the Kuruta village. He was now in a room, sitting on a chair beside the bed where Kurapika is sleeping.

'The companion that was mentioned in the prediction?' he continued on his contemplation.

000

Flashback

To the land where the sun rises,

The companion you seek would be found.

The force of life is in your pages

To reveal the one that was bound.

0

To complete the name that was yours,

This is the light that you would bear.

Behold the wings spread to the wind the blows,

But all the time you should beware.

0

A journey for another search would begin

And a test for you is waiting to be taken.

You would found a way to your origin

And a part of you would be awakened.

0

Fear not of a sad memory

For in the past, the answers lie beneath.

Acceptance is the key,

As a path for a new beginning awaits.

0

That was Kuroro's prediction he made for himself after being freed by the nen exorcist as he had decided to find more clues about the companion he is seeking using the ability he had stolen some months ago. After all, it was also that ability which gave him the reason to seek for a new companion.

And that was the clue form the prediction he got. Yes, it's a clue, a complicated and confusing one though. And Kuroro felt challenged upon seeing it, but kept his confidence. He loves challenge anyway.

In this kind of prediction, there are lots of things that should be thought carefully.

First, 'To the land where the sun rises.' It means the east, but there are lots of places that can be considered as east. But then he thought, if Greed Island, which is the east of York Shin, is not the east that was stated in the prediction, then what about the east of the world? That is still a huge place as a searching ground. But there is a certain place in the east that was on Kuroro's mind, it was a place that has something to do with his past.

So there he was, standing in front of the Kuruta village. He knows very well that the place was uninhabited for years but he continued with it anyway.

Next, 'The companion you seek would be found,' doesn't mean that the said companion is leaving there. It may be a visitor like him; a passer-by who lost its way (that's just ridiculous considering the way to get into the place, but chances are..) and the list goes on.

When Kuroro entered the village, the first thing he noticed are the dark spots all over the place. They must be from the huge fire that was set during the massacre. But the weird thing is, all the houses are still standing and whole. Shouldn't they have turned into ashes by the huge fire since they were made of woods?

'Could it be'…. He used gyo on his eyes to confirm his suspicion. Upon seeing the whole place with his gyo, Kuroro cannot help but to be amazed and his suspicion was right. The whole place was protected with nen and until now, the nen is still protecting it.

Kuroro looked around the place, entering each and every house to see what was there. The houses are typical just like any other ordinary houses, if not for the nen that was protecting them. Everything inside are still neat and clean as if there are actually people that maintaining them.

Since Kuroro had a lot of free time, he continued on looking inside the other houses. Just looking at those houses amuse him, and he was even more amused when he found an interesting room, or rather, something in that room that interests him: books, lots of different kinds of books.

After Kuroro found that room, he decided to stay there for a while, but then he felt a presence. 'Could it be the person he is looking for?' he thought as he opened the door to see who it was.

He cannot believe it. The one that was in front of him was Kurapika? Well, he was in the Kuruta village anyway. Then he smiled.

"It's you!" He said, not hiding his delight to see him. 'Could it be Kurapika the one I am looking for?'

End of flashback

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That's all for now.

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Q:How to double space here?


	6. A deal

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 06 –A deal

'Could you really be the one I am looking for? The companion that was mentioned in the prediction? If that is the case, would you accept to be my new companion, Kurapika? Seriously, fate is playing games with us, don't you think?'

Looking at the sleeping Kurapika, Kuroro cannot help but to be amazed by the girl's beautiful appearance. She has a petite body with pale white skin like a porcelain doll, long lashes that curtained her eyes perfectly and pinkish thin lips.

Kuroro even observed that Kurapika's already beautiful appearance was enhanced after the change. So he can say that Kurapika can be described as a perfect 'little' doll model.

"Hm?" He saw her hand moves. 'She is waking up.'

Truth to be told, Kurapika has woken up as she slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Kuroro's smile with a sign of relief on his face. Was he glad to see her awake? But for what reason?

"Kuroro Lucifer?" she asked softly with her more feminine voice.

"Yes," Kuroro answered as he helped the girl to sit up and rest her back at the wooden wall, putting a pillow in between.

Kurapika blink, slightly taken aback at the man's action. She was silent. She doesn't know what to think or what to say. Looking at the man's eye made her wonder if he is really the Kuroro Lucifer that she knew. Not that she really knew him, but the Kuroro she is seeing now is somewhat different.

"Are you ok?" Kuroro asked to make sure if she's alright upon realizing that the girl was being silent.

"Y-yes," she answered hesitantly, "I'm fine."

"Are you hungry?"

Kurapika looked at the man's eyes as she contemplated for a while. "A little," she answered afterward.

Kuroro nodded to her as he stood up. "Wait here," he said then walked toward the door. But upon reaching the door, he suddenly stopped then turned to face the girl again.

"If you're wondering about me, then, we have the same thought. I am also wondering about you," he said, then turned again to the door and left, leaving the confused Kurapika.

'Well, you are right,' she thought when the man got out of the room. 'It's normal, considering what had happened. I just returned into a girl anyway and you are acting like … like we're not enemies?' She signed.

"Just what are you thinking, Kuroro?" she asked, looking at the door where the man disappeared. She averted her gaze to her palm as she raised them in front of her. She looked at them, as if seeing them for the first time. After that, she closed her eyes and let her hands rest on her lap.

"Wait," she suddenly opened her eyes again as realization took her and looked around the room. 'This room…' she thought as she felt a strong familiarity.

The room is simple. All the furniture's are made from wood. In one corner is a single bed which she is using right now. To her left, not far away from the bed is a table in front of a window with a lamp and her baggage on the top. 'Thank goodness, they are still whole,' she thought.

Next to the table is a bookshelf full of different kinds of books. The door is at the corner opposite the window. Next to the door and in front of Kurapka's bed is a wardrobe. And lastly, is a chair beside the bed which is supposed to be in front of the table.

It was a very simple room indeed, but holds a lot of memories; it was her room after all. The room where she used to sleep, to read or study, the room where her mother used to tell her stories and sing her lullabies. Kurapika cannot help but sigh upon the memory. She won't be able to hear her mother's beautiful voice ever again.

The door opened, cutting Kurapika's train of thoughts as she looked over upon hearing it. She saw Kuroro entered the room and walked toward her bringing with him a bowl of wild berries which he probably got from the forest and a glass of water which must be from the stream.

"Here," Kuroro said as he handed the bowl to Kurapika.

"Thanks," Kurapika said and begun eating the wild berries as Kuroro returned from his previous position (sitting at the chair) and contented himself on watching her. "Are you not hungry? She asked, a little bit embarrassed, seeing that the man gave her all the fruits that he brought.

"No," Kuroro answered.

"Is that so?" He must have eaten while she was asleep.

Kurapika continued on eating. After a few minutes, Kuroro stood up then walked toward the bookshelf to get a book and immediately get back to his chair. He then started to read the book that he picked as he waited for Kurapika to finish her food.

000

A while ago, when Kurapika was still sleeping, he decided to find some food and water. The forest is not that far away from the village so he did not take a second thought to wonder on. And there, he found a lot of fruit bearing trees, but not all of those fruits are edible.

In a place like that forest, one must be knowledgeable to know which of those fruit are poisonous and which are not. Fortunately Kuroro bear that knowledge. He had read some books about survival before which are very useful to him until now.

After he got the fruits he wanted, he continued to wonder the forest to look for the stream that he knew it was somewhere out there. Not long after, he found the stream that he was looking for. The stream has cool and clear water, perfect for drinking. It is like an oasis inside a forest.

000

After Kuapika finished her food, Kuroro immediately closed his book to get the water which he had placed beside his chair and gave it to Kurapika.

"Thanks," Kurapika acknowledged as she took the water from Kuroro and drunk it without a single hesitation. Seeing no bad intentions from the man's eyes, Kurapika willingly accepted the water, knowing where it came from. The same with the wild berries, she knows them very well, the forest was her play ground after all.

"Let's make a deal," Kuroro said after Kurapika finished drinking the water.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at the man's eyes.

"You will answer all my questions, and I will do the same with yours."

Kurapika contemplated for a while then nodded after a few seconds. She doesn't have anything to hide anyway, and she also wanted to ask something to the man.

"Then," Kuroro started, "What happened and who did that to you?"

The expected question came first; the question about her becoming a male. But considering the question, does Kuroro know she's originally a girl? Well, he would not ask if he doesn't, 'maybe', Kurapika thought.

As for Kuroro, he knows very well that the Kuruta tribe values the virtue of honesty greatly, so they do not lie. 'It is better to keep silent than lie,' is one of their principles. And no, he doesn't know that Kurapika is originally a girl. He never had guessed that Kurapika might be the little girl he had met, before the massacre occurred.

Understanding the man's question, Kurapika went silent for a while, thinking on what she should tell to Kuroro. She leaned her head to the pillow, closing her eyes as memories started flashing in her mind.

After a few seconds she opened her eyes again. "Since you're the one who released me, I will tell you everything," she said and Kuroro waited for her to continue.

"You might have known him; he's also from Ryusei Gai."

* * *

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	7. Five years worth of tears

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 07 – Five years worth of tears

"You might have known him; he's also from Ryusei Gai."

Flashback

It happened two years after the cursed massacre had occurred as Kurapika started to travel the outside world to look for a certain person. She went to different places which might be dangerous for someone of her age, but fortunately, Kurapika knows a lot of survival techniques and has an animalistic instinct that helped her on her journey.

She travelled many places and learned a lot of things about the outside world.

One day as she walked through the entrance of a town, she found herself amazed at the liveliness of the place. There are a lot of stalls of different kinds with people doing different kinds of activities. But this is not the time for amusement as she felt her hungry stomach.

She was walking through the crowded alley, looking for a good restaurant when she suddenly felt a presence following her.

Kurapika did not stop walking, not letting the stalker notice that she can feel its presence. She stopped into a mini restaurant and ordered for a set of meal, thinking that the stalker would not show itself for a while.

After finishing her meal, Kurapika immediately got out from the restaurant and headed outside the town to continue her journey. It doesn't seem like she will find the person she is looking for in that town, so she decided to leave immediately.

Kurapika continued on walking until she is far away from the town and decided to walk through the woods instead of the clear way as she tried to get the stalker lost its track.

The stalker is still following her, so Kurapika started to hasten her pace, up to the point that she needed to run and jump from tree to tree, but the stalker was still able to follow her, so she decided to stop and face the stranger.

Kurapika turned to her back upon stopping, but sees no one in front of her. But she can still feel the presence. She looked around her surrounding to find the stranger.

"Show yourself!" she ordered.

Truth to tell, a man of about 45 to 50, with long black hair and a pair of dark eyes and wearing a black coat reveled himself from the back of a tree, few meters away from Kurapika.

"Looks like you have discovered me from the beginning," the man said coolly. There is a small smile on his lips, as if he was glad that the girl noticed him.

"What do you want?" Kurapika asked, alert in her position and ignoring the man's comment.

"Just to confirm something," the man answered. "Tell me, you're a Kuruta, aren't you?"

Upon hearing the word 'Kuruta', Kurapika suddenly felt uneasy and immediately readied herself in a fighting stance with her twin sword as her eyes started to change their color.

"You don't have to answer me in that case," the man said, seeing Kurapika's eyes wavering from blue to scarlet. Then he put up a serious face. "Do you know the people who are responsible for you clans' murder?"

Kurapika frowned at the man. "What…. do you know about the massacre?" she hesitantly asked.

"Genei Ryodan," the man said as he started to walk toward Kurapika until he's just a foot away from her. "Look for them," he said, reaching Kurapika's head with his right hand.

"Who are you?" Kurapika asked in an almost inaudible whisper, unable to move her body, as if something is restraining her.

"Gale Altair."

End of flashback

"After that, my memory about myself became unclear," Kurapika said.

"Gale Altair," Kuroro murmured, placing his hand over his mouth as his usual thinking gesture. Yes, he knows that man, but not because of being a Ryusei Gai citizen. It is something more crucial. "He's a specialization type, but I do not know his full ability," he said afterward.

Kurapika nodded to him and suddenly removed the blanket out of her feet, got off from the bed and walked toward the table while Kuroro simply watched her, wondering about the girl's action.

The girl stood in front of the table, looking at her baggage atop. And after a few minutes of motionlessly standing there, she took the suitcase and immediately got out of the room.

Kuroro blink at Kurapika's action, but immediately followed the girl.

Kurapika continued walking to the corridor of the house until she arrived at a certain room. It is a room where handmade tools and equipments are stored and Kuroro cannot help but to be amazed at their intricate design. Actually, everything in the house is handmade and amusing on Kuroro's part.

Upon entering the room, Kurapika looked around to find something she needed and there she found at one corner of the room where shovels of different sizes are arranged.

Kuroro watched Kurapika as she walked toward the said corner, taking a small shovel. 'Now, what will she do with a small shovel?' he mentally asked.

After getting what she want, Kurapika immediately exited the room (followed by Kuroro) and walked again to the few corridors toward the exit of the house.

When they arrived outside the house, Kurapika went to the center of the village and stopped there for a while. Not far away from her, Kuroro is still watching her with a frown on his face.

Kurapika looked at Kuroro for a while, then, she put her attention on the suitcase that she was carrying with her right hand, dropping it carefully to the ground and seated herself in front of it. And then she started to undone the locks.

Wondering at what might be inside the suitcase, Kuroro put his attention at the said item and was a little bit surprised at what he saw. He did not expect that inside of that suitcase are scarlet eyes.

Recovering from the shock, his surprised look was replaced with a smile. 'Amazing!' he thought. Right, he was amazed at the scarlet eyes, but he was more amazed at the figure in front of the said items. 'Interesting,' he added.

The scarlet eyes are not easy to acquire. For Kurapika to have more or less ten pairs in a short period of time is not ordinary. But truth to tell, Kurapika is not ordinary, as well as Kuroro himself. Nevertheless, Kuroro was still amazed and curious on how Kurapika got those eyes.

After Kurapika got all the scarlet eyes out of the suitcase, she took her shovel which she placed on her left side a while ago and started digging.

"Gale Altair," Kurapika said as she continued of her task, "he messed up my memory and change my character." She took one of the double cylinders, opening the lid to remove the eyes that they contained and buried them to the hole she dug and continued the process up to the last pair of scarlet eyes that she managed to collect.

"He is a specialization type who can manipulate memory and change a person's character by touching the victim's head," she continued while still on the process of burying the other scarlet eyes.

"There are only two ways to remove his nen from the victim's body. First is to attack the victim with strong nen force just like what you did to me."

Kuroro chuckled at the memory. He did not do it in purpose after all.

"A dangerous process, especially if the victim is not a nen user," Kurapika said, not noticing Kuroro's action. "But if the victim survived, he/she will gain all the information about Gale's nen.

'I see' Kuroro thought. He is being silent as he listened intently to Kurapika's explanation.

"And the second one," Kurapika continued, "is for Gale himself to remove his nen, but the victim will not gain the nen information. Additionally, if the victim was released by the first method, Gale will never be able to victimize him/her again."

Kuroro placed his hand over his mouth for a while, "A risky but effective and fearsome technique," he said afterward.

"But I think…" Kurapika trailed off as she buried the last pair of scarlet eyes and dusted her hands. "I think he doesn't have any ill intention," she said as she looked at the sky. "But rather, he wanted to protect something," she finished her sentence, closing her eyes as she started a prayer.

"The shining sun of the sky,

The green trees of the earth.

Our bodies are created from the earth.

Our souls originated from the heavens.

The sun and moon shines on our limbs,

And the ground moistens our body,

Giving this body to the wind that blows across the world.

Thank God for the miracle,

And the Kuruta territories.

Wishing for everlasting peace in our souls,

I desire to share happiness with my people,

And desire to share their sadness.

Please bless the Kuruta tribe forever,

Let us pray this upon our scarlet eyes."

As she finished her prayer, Kurapika sighed in preparation of her next concern and looked at the man who is now standing in front of her. "Can I ask my question now?"

"Go on," Kuroro answered.

"Then," Kurapika started, looking intently at the man's eyes, "tell me what happened to the massacre five years ago," more like an order that a question.

"That is something I cannot answer," Kuroro said, "I never know it myself."

"Eh!? Why? Aren't you the mastermind of the massacre?" Kurapika asked in confusion, unable to believe at what she heard from the man, but found no deception on his eyes.

"I'm not," Kuroro answer as he turned his head at the direction of the houses, remembering a distant memory: a memory that he doesn't want to remember. Looking back at the girl, Kuroro seated himself, cross legged at the ground and continued his sentence. "I'm not even here when it happens," he paused, "instead, I was chasing for someone."

'I cannot believe this,' Kurapika thought, 'but he's not lying. If Kuroro is not the mastermind of the massacre, then, what was my revenge for?' And what about the person he was chasing? "Who is the person you are chasing?" she asked.

"Gale Altair."

Upon hearing the name, Kurapika's eyes widened in shock. Is that a coincidence or something? "Why are you chasing him?"

"Unfinished business," was Kuroro's only answer.

She doesn't want to hear that kind of answer. But, 'something is off,' Kurapika thought as she returned her eyes at Kuroro, 'why am I not getting any clear answer from him? As if he is hiding something. Or else… I am asking incorrectly.'

"Kuroro Lucifer," Kurapika called to get the man's attention.

Hearing Kurapika's determined voice, Kuroro cannot help but to expect something that he wouldn't be able to avoid answering this time. Right, he was, from the beginning, avoiding in actually giving a full answer to her questions, but this time, it was different. And unknown to him, that the next thing to happen will lead to something unexpected.

"I'll ask you once more, Kuroro," Kurapika said in a calm voice. "Please tell me everything you know that is related to the massacre."

There it is. The question that he really wanted to avoid answering, and Kuroro cannot help but to sigh in attempt to do so, but he cannot escape this time.

"I hope," Kurapika said, seeing the sigh that escaped Kuroro's mouth, "you would not violate the deal you made."

Of course, he would not violate the deal. He is a man of his word after all. And as he looked at Kurapika, Kuroro prop up his right foot in front of him and leaned his right arm on his knee. "Alright," he said, "I cannot tell you much that can relate to the Kuruta massacre, but one thing I know," he paused, "the council head was too desperate at that time."

"Ryusei Gai?" Kurapika guessed.

Nodding at the girl, Kuroro continued. "As you may know, Ryusei Gai, is a place where junk is made as a resources by its inhabitant. Everything that the other countries throw will be fully accepted by the people of the city. But it wasn't enough for the people," he stopped as he observed Kurapika to see her reaction.

Kuroro found the girl listening intently at him so he continued. "The council trained selected children to be summoned for the mafia community. They will employ those children for criminal activities and in return, the mafia will provide resources for the city. Due to the influence of the mafia, the city's council became greedy and they manage to induce the council on assaulting the Kuruta clan."

"To conduct the assault, the council summoned some of the trained children. And eventually, those children are members of Genei Ryodan, but I wasn't informed about their plan. At the time I learned it, it was too late."

Kuroro softly said his last sentence to end his story, but for Kurapika's ears, it was as if the man is trying to hide a hurt feeling like he had lost something important. Plus, he lowered his head a little, making it hard for Kurapika to see his expression as his bangs hid his eyes.

In Kurapika's point of view, Kuroro was really affected by the loss of the Kuruta clan as if he was a member himself. Is he…? But Kurapika doesn't remember anyone like Kuroro. Wait, something is amiss. It's like as if there is something in the edge of her memory that her brain is trying to recover, but she can't take it out.

"Ku-Kuroro," Kurapika hesitantly called and was answered as Kuroro looked back at her with his eyes clearly asking what she might need of him this time.

"What are you doing before the massacre had occurred?" she asked.

"I- I was," Kuroro hesitated at first, looking wide eyes at the girl, but there is nothing big about it anyway, or so he thought. "I was traveling."

"What were you traveling for?" somehow, her own questions brought back the piece of her memory that was clinging at the edge of her mind. As she looked closely on Kuroro, she realized that the memory is about a certain person she had met on the forest years back before the massacre occurred. And if that person was actually Kuroro, she would not be able to forgive herself for the wrong things she had done to him.

Why is she bringing up that now? Kuroro wondered as he looked away from Kurapika, trying to avoid eye contact. 'I cannot tell you everything yet,' he thought to himself. "It doesn't matter."

"You're lying," Kurapika said with a tinge of sadness in her voice and her eyes furrowing in an attempt to control her emotion.

Kuroro looked at her questioningly, trying to discern what had gotten into her. What is she trying to gain from knowing the past before the massacre? "Why are you asking me that anyway?" he asked instead.

"I just remembered," Kurapika paused, looking intently at Kuroro's eyes, "a person that I met years ago… It was to find to your family, isn't it?"

"You are," Kuroro's eyes widened as he remembered the same memory he had when he met a little girl wondering in the forest. He raised his left hand to his face and covered his eyes. "So you're that girl back then. I never thought I would ever meet you again. As for my family, they're gone. That's why it doesn't matter anymore."

Just hearing the word 'gone' made Kurapika's heart pound in hurt and guilt as her eyes widened in shock. 'This is awful. I never thought he was suffering all the time and I made it worst. But… why?' Kurapika thought, looking on the ground. "Why didn't you tell me anything?" her question came out raspy.

"What am I suppose to tell you?" Kuroro asked back, putting down his hand to look at Kurapika, but unable to see her expression because of her bangs.

Kurapika snapped as she suddenly pushed herself up to Kuroro and clutch the edge of the man's collar. "Why didn't you tell me that you're not the mastermind of the Kuruta massacre? Why didn't you tell me anything of that you told me a while ago? Why, Kuroro, why?! Back then, the night when I captured you, you didn't tell me anything!"

Taken aback at the girl's action, Kuroro barely managed to prevent himself from falling to the ground with Kurapika as he quickly move his hands behind him for support. He didn't expect the coming of the girl. But with their position right then, he can clearly see the girl expression who is trying to hold back her tears.

He sighed. "It's alright," he said softly as he raised his free hand to Kurapika's head, "It was in the past. You don't have to think about that anymore."

"How can you just accept everything like that?" she asked, still trying to hold her tears which made Kuroro sigh.

"It's alright," he repeated, "and Kurapika… it is better to cry sometimes."

Kurapika's eyes widened at the man's word. She never expects him to say something like that. She removed her hands from Kuroro's collar and seated herself again.

"But," she whispered, looking at the ground, and Kuroro's next action surprised her greatly for the man suddenly pulled her to his warm embrace.

Kurapika can't take it anymore; she wanted to cry. And so, for the five years of her life, she let everything out with her tears.

The sky began to slightly darken with the clouds as the rain started pouring on everything, as if to accompany Kurapika on crying.

Time passed by as the rain stopped and the sky started to clear slowly. The gray stratus clouds moved with the wind, giving way to the rays of sun, illuminating the ground warmly and the two figures sitting on each other's arms.

Kurapika was still sobbing weakly on Kuroro's chess when she pushed herself slightly to rub the tears off her eyes. Kuroro silently watched her figure as he loosen his hold, giving Kurapika a little space.

"I'm sorry," Kurapika suddenly said as she removed the tears from her eyes, looking down on her lap.

"You don't have to, it wasn't your fault… And I deserved it."

Kurapika returned her gaze at Kuroro, not understanding what the man is saying. "What do you mean you deserved it?" she asked.

Kuroro closed his eyes for a while to think how he should answer the girl. But, 'this is not the right time'. "Can I delay the answer for the meantime?"

"Why?"

"When the right time has come, I'll tell you everything,"

Kurapika hesitated at first, but she nodded after a while, thinking that, it is not right to force someone on answering. "It's okay; I will wait for the time when you're ready to tell me," she said. "But, what about your other family?"

Kuroro blink at the question, not really getting what the girl is talking about.

"Genei Ryodan," Kurapika stated, "I think they are like family to you. I killed two of them."

"It was their choice."

"But still-"

"I forgive you," Kuroro cut Kurapika's sentence, knowing that she would insist on the matter at no end if he would not say those words.

Taken aback at the man's words, Kurapika widened here eyes for the umpteenth time, and then stared at him.

"What is it?" Kuroro asked, seeing Kurapika's intense stare.

"Why?" she only asked.

Kuroro sighed at that as he closed his eyes for a while and looked at her again. "You asked for forgiveness so I gave it to you. Isn't that how it is supposed to be?"

Kurapika blinked. "But-"

"Or do you want me to punish you for something that you did not mean on doing?"

Kurapika opened her mouth to say something, but no word came out as she cannot think of anything to say, as if her mind stopped working. She resorted on looking at her lap, biting her lower lip.

Seeing that Kurapika have nothing to say anymore, Kuroro reached the top of Kurapika's head. "Let's go," he calmly said, but his eyes are reflecting a slight worry.

"Do you…really…forgive me?" Kurapika asked, moving her head a little to look at Kuroro.

The worried look ok Kuroro's face was replaced by a light smile on his lips. "Of course," he said. He shifted himself in a kneeling position and reached his hand for Kurapika. "Shall we go now?"

Nodding lightly, Kurapika took Kuroro's hand with a small smile on her lips. "Thanks."

* * *

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	8. Meeting

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 08 – Meeting

Deep inside the mountainous province of Rukuso, in the lush forest that surround most of the land, a young male clad in black, bringing with him a small bag on his shoulder, was wondering alone, walking down to the path of nowhere.

'I am lost, am I?' he thought as he looked above him, seeing only tree branches and leaves, and the darkening sky between the apertures of the leaves. More than that, he did not able to find anything to eat or drink.

Shrugging the thought away, the young man continued on wondering the woods, hoping that he will find something on the way. And soon enough a sound of running water was heard as he moved deeper in to the forest. As soon as he found the stream, he immediately went over and gets himself a drink with his hands.

Preoccupied on satisfying his thirst, he did not notice a figure watching him above the tree not far away from the stream until that figure called his attention.

"Onii-san," he heard the small voice coming from his back. The young man stopped drinking as he turned his head to the direction where he heard the voice and found a golden haired, little girl, wearing an unusual blue dress jumping down from a tree branch.

"What are you doing alone in this forest?" the little girl asked as she landed perfectly with her feet on the ground.

The young man smiled at the question, seeing that the girl is alone herself. "I should be asking the same question," he said.

"I don't think you are familiar with this forest, I've never seen you around before," the girl stated.

"Indeed, I was actually lost," the young man admitted. "And judging from your statement, you seem to know this forest a lot."

"I know this forest like the back of my hand," the girl answered. "So, what are you doing here alone?" She repeated her question a while ago.

Pushing himself up, the young man stood on his ground and completely faced the girl. "I am a traveler and I am looking for -," he trailed off, hesitant to continue his sentence, "never mind, I'm just a mere traveler."

The girl frowned at that, but she did not push the topic. "I see," she said, "anyway, are you-," her sentence was stopped by the sudden growl of stomach.

The young man looked away with a tinge of redness on his face as he massaged the bridge of his nose. It can't be help; he did not eat anything since morning.

"I guess I don't have to ask it anymore," the girl said, smiling at the young man. "Come," she said as she turned and started walking, entering the field of tall grasses, creating her own way with her wooded twin swords(if they are actually wooded at all) that came out of nowhere.

Without a single hesitation, the young man followed the little. In fact, he was actually interested about her.

They continued running the grass field and he was losing his direction again. It's not that he know anything about the forest, he just don't know where did they came from anymore and the girl is leading his to the path of nowhere.

After the few minutes of running, they finally got out off the grass field and the girl stopped running and walked in front of some sort bushes, bearing some kind of small red fruits just like strawberries, but smaller.

"Here they are," the girl said, kneeling at the bushes and started plucking the red fruits, "the wild berries."

"Wild berries?" the young man repeated in question. He doesn't know them.

"Right," the girl answered as she stood up and turned to face the young man again. "They are nutritious and sweet, here," she said as she lifted her hands full of wild berries to the young man.

Looking intently at the fruits, the young man picked a single berry from the little girl's small hands and took a bite on it. And at once, his eyes widened in great appreciation.

"Sweet, no, it is more that sweet," he said as he looked at the bitten fruit on his hand.

"Of course. They are my favorite," the girl said, smiling warmly at the young man.

"I never tasted something like this before," he said, looking at the girl, interestingly, "I cannot actually explain the taste, but they are great… Who are you, anyway?

"I won't tell you," she answered. "That's why I would not also ask for your name as well."

"And why would you not tell me?"

"Because you are a stranger and a stranger should better not know about us."

"Are you protecting something?"

"My family."

"Are you -?" he trailed off, hesitating if he should ask her or not. "I will tell you something," he said, changing his mind.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Will you tell me something about you after that?"

"That depends on what you are going to tell me."

The young man smiled at the girl's attitude, she is a smart kid. "Do you remember when you asked me what I am doing here alone?"

"Yes, what's about it?" the girl answered with her round eyes, full of curiosity, but then she remembered the hesitation of the man on answering her. "About that you are looking for? You don't really have to tell me if you don't want to," she said.

"No, it's alright," he answered. "Actually," he started, "I was looking for a group of people. I do not know much about them, but I know what they are. Since I was a child, I was hoping to find them again."

Blinking at the man's sentence, the girl kind of understands what he is talking about. "You are looking for your family," she said with wide eyes and the young man nodded to her in confirmation.

Feeling sorry for the young man in front of her, she closed her eyes for a while, took a deep breath and opened her eyes again, looking back at the man's dark eyes.

"Pale skin," she started, "light colored hair, blue eyes. That is how we are described in the normal circumstances. But, when we are having a deep emotion, the color of our eyes turns scarlet. That is what we are, the Kuruta family."

His eyes widened for a moment, but recovered immediately as he looked at her intently with a face shows the look something that she cannot pin point. "Telling this to you is not just a risk for me, but for the whole clan of the Kuruta, but I will thrust you to keep everything you heard to yourself," she said in a serious tone.

"No one will ever find," he assured her, smiling gently at the little girl.

* * *

What do you think?

Please review ;)


	9. Kuroro's new companion

Maybe I should explain why about my description of the Kuruta clan from the last chapter.

If you noticed, I did not consider the Pairo in my description. That is because I made most of my chapters before the movie was introduced (or before i learned of its existence).

So basically, the movie 'Phantom rouge' did not happened here.

* * *

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 09 – Kuroro's new companion

As the strong wind was blowing wildly the trees on that lush forest and taking with it the dry leaves, as if they are dancing with the wind along with the light, golden hair of a lone little girl standing in front of a stream, the said little girl was looking intently at something peculiar on the sky: the moon; a red moon.

'Something bad is happening,' she thought and turned to look at a distance with a worried expression plastered on her small face. Then, she closed her eyes to feel her surroundings.

Screams! Can she hear screams? She hastily opened her eyes again, horrified at the sounds that she herd. 'What is happening?' she asked herself and immediately ran to various directions. And when she arrived at her destination, what greeted her made her eyes widened in full horror. A huge fire is blazing in front of her; the village is on fire.

"Mama! Papa! Everyone!" she shouted, anxious at what might had happened to her family. Then suddenly, the fire blaze to her direction.

"Ahhh!"

000

Kuroro abruptly opened his eyes. 'A dream' he thought, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead. The book on his lap slipped out from its place as Kuroro tried to regain his posture. He was seating with his back against the wall beside the bed where Kurapika is sleeping.

Right, he decided to stay in Kurapika's room instead of using other room, feeling that something might happen to Kurapika while he was away from her.

Standing up from his position, he took the book on his lap, placing it aside and looked at the sleeping figure on the bed. As if on cue, he saw the girl breathing hardly and her face was reddish. He put his hand over Kurapika's forehead to feel her temperature. It's burning hot.

'Fever,' he thought, sighing.

Kuroro looked at Kurapika for a while then turned to his side and walked toward the wardrobe to look for a small towel. After getting what he need from the wardrobe, he immediately went outside the room and headed to the storage room to get some water which he collected yesterday.

Since the houses in the village do not have faucet, people who used to live in the place collect their water from the nearby river located at the back of the village. Then, the water they collected would be stored in a large jar.

Going back to the room, Kuroro put the basin on the top of the table, dipped the small towel, squeezed it to remove the extra water and placed it on top of Kurapika's forehead.

After that, he seated himself at the edge of the bed. And as he watched the still sleeping Kurapika he reached his hand to the girl's head and started caressing her soft hair as if to calm the turmoil inside her mind.

He was sure of it. The dream that he had a while ago was not his own but of Kurapika. Nevertheless, he knew that dream is not just a dream. It was a memory; a painful memory.

000

"Ahhh!"

The little girl was almost gotten by the blazing fire if not for the hand that suddenly grabbed her right arm, pulling her away from the said fire.

Breathing hardly as she was shocked by the sudden incident, she looked at her side to see the person who saved her life.

'Onii-san!?' she asked herself on seeing a familiar dark-haired man beside her. The man was looking intensely at the burning village with an obvious anger on his face. Then suddenly, the man started to walk toward the fire.

"Huh? O-onii-san! Where are you going?" The little girl asked. "Wait! Please, don't go!" she pleaded as she grabbed on the man's left arm, doing the same thing he did to her a while ago; only that, she cannot full him as she doesn't have the strength to do so.

Upon the little girl's action, the man stopped from his track and looked at the little girl who is still clinging on his arm.

"Don't worry," he said, raising his free hand to place it over little girl's head and started to caress her hair, "I'll be back, ok?"

The little girl nodded, hesitantly letting go of the man's arm. "I'll wait for you then," she said in a small voice and the man nodded back to her.

00000

As Kurapika fluttered open her eyes, she felt the heaviness that hung on her eyelids as well as around her body, added with pain all over. It's like she did some kind of heavy work for unknown reason. And then she remembered the happenings yesterday and she cannot help but smile upon the memory.

Flashback

When they got back inside Kurapika's house, the two immediately dried themselves up from the rain that soaked them from head to toe and drunk a cup of warm tea that Kurapika made to warm their shivering body.

As they seated themselves before the circular dining table with their cups of tea and some forest fruits atop, Kurapika suddenly called the man's attention and Kuroro answered by looking at her curiously.

"About your family," she started.

"You don't have to worry about that, it's not that important," Kuroro said in a tone as if he doesn't really care.

"You cannot lie to me, Kuroro," Kurapika stated.

Kuroro sighed. "What's about it?" he gave in.

Kurapika looked at her tea as she caressed the edge of her cup. "I just want to tell you," she paused, looking back at Kuroro as she observed him for a while, "I just want to tell you that you can always treat me as your own family."

Kuroro blink, registering the girl's words in his mind, but upon realizing something, he suddenly laughed.

Kurapika stared at him with wide eyes, not understanding the man's sudden burst.

"W-why are you laughing?" she asked in stuttered voice, but she also realized that it was her first time to see him laugh which is a very nice view for her.

"It's just that," Kuroro started as he stopped himself from laughing, "I didn't expect that coming from you, of all people."

"So?" she frowned, still unable to understand what is in Kuroro's mind.

"You supposedly hate me more than anything, but now –," he stopped as he saw Kurapika looked downward, hiding her eyes with her bangs. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that," he said softly.

"It's alright," she said, standing up from her seat, pushing the chair away and turned toward the door. "It was the truth anyway... You can forget what I said," she told him, making her way out of the dining room, but she was stopped by a hand on her wrist. As she looked at the hand's owner, she saw Kuroro by her side with a soft expression.

"Be my companion, Kurapika," Kuroro said, looking straight at the girl. But then he saw tears started to flow on her eyes. That is when he realized, that the girl has such a fragile heart: strong, yet easy to break. That must be one reason why Gale had changed her character, but he cannot be sure of it.

Shrugging the thought away, Kuroro faced the girl with determination. "Will you stay by my side?" he asked this time.

"Why are you asking me that question?" Kurapika asked back, wiping her tears away with her free hand.

"Because I want you to," he answered.

Kurapika stared at him for a while, looking at his dark eyes, trying to read what is inside his mind.

As the girl looked at him intently, another thing came in Kuroro's mind. "And about Gale, aren't you going to look for him? Don't you think it would be better if we look for him together?"

Kurapika widened her eyes upon hearing those words and realized the truth on them. Yes, she is planning to look for that person and Kuroro's suggestions is a great advantage, but. "What about the Ryodan?" she asked.

"The Ryodan?" he asked back, but on seeing the look that Kurapika is giving him made him sigh. "Look, Kurapika," he started, "being my companion doesn't mean you have to be a member of the brigade. Moreover, the Ryodan has nothing to do with Gale. I will just have to explain them our circumstances."

Kurapika bowed her head for a while as she closed her eyes to contemplate on the matter. After a few seconds, she looked back at Kuroro. "Okay, I am fine with that."

End of flashback

Rolling her eyes to her left, she saw Kuroro sitting on the chair with his head down, sleeping silently beside her bed. As she shifted her head to get a better look of the man's face, she felt the wet towel on her forehead slip to the pillow. She raised her right hand heavily to take it, but before she reached the towel, Kuroro's voice suddenly distracted her.

"Good morning!" Kuroro greeted, which made Kurapika shift her attention from the wet towel to him.

"Good morning," Kurapika greeted back weakly, ignoring the wet towel on her pillow and letting her hand rest over her stomach.

"How are you feeling?" Kuroro asked, taking the wet towel as he saw it beside Kurapika's head.

Kurapika was silent for a moment, thinking if she would answer or not. "My whole body is heavy, but I'll be fine," she finally said. "You don't have to worry," she added.

* * *

So, what do you think?

Comment?

Suggestions?

Violent reactions?

Please review ;)


	10. True Value

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 10 – True Value

"Not here, not here, not here," Kuroro heard when he was about to open the door of Kurapika's room. He also heard sounds like Bag! Bag! Bag!

'That's weird.' Kuroro opened the door to see what is happening inside, but upon doing so, a pillow was already on its way toward his face. Fortunately, Kuroro has good reflexes as he immediately caught the pillow with his hands. Taking the pillow away from his view, a frown made its way on his face as he saw the state that the room has become. It was a total mess. Books and clothes are scattered on the wooden floor while Kurapika was still on the process of messing up the bed while mumbling: "not here, not here," throwing away everything that her hands got hold into.

"What are you doing, Kurapika?" he asked in curiosity.

"Looking for something," Kurapika answered, not bothering to look at the man.

"And what is that you are looking for?"

"An earring."

"The one with the diamond shaped crystal?"

That made the girl stops and looked at Kuroro. "Yes."

Kuroro sighed as he closed his eyes for a while then looked at the girl again. "It's gone."

"Eh?" Kurapika frowned.

"Do you remember when I attacked you with my nen ball?" Kurapika stayed silent.

"Back then," Kuroro continued, "I heard a cracking sound, and when I found you, lying on the ground, the earring was already gone."

An awkward silence fell on the room as Kurapika stared at him with an unbearable sad expression on her face and beads of tears on her eyes as if blaming him for everything.

'Now what?' Kuroro thought on seeing Kurapika's reaction. "Look, Kurapika. I didn't mean to do that. That is just -"

"It was a gift from my mother," Kurapika said, cutting Kuroro's statement.

His eyes widened slightly at her word and looked away as he hid his eyes with his bangs. "I'm sorry," he said in an audible whisper.

"Never mind," she said in a low voice, turning her back to him and started rearranging the mess that she made.

Kuroro looked at the girl's back with a visible regret on his eyes. He knows how something from a mother is worth. He himself wanted to regain something back that belongs to his mother, but in order to do that, he has to deal with Gale Altair first.

'What should I do now?' he mentally asked. What Kurapika wants is something she won't be able to regain anymore. Kuroro sighed at the thought, but then, something clicked in his mind. He looked at Kurapika for a while before exiting the room to go outside.

Upon exiting the house, he immediately took his phone out of his picket and dialed a certain number. After some few rings, the call was answered.

[Ah! Danchou!] comes the cheerful voice of his spider.

"Shalnark."

000

Finishing the room arrangement, Kurapika belatedly noticed that Kuroro was nowhere within the house.

'Where could he have gone into?' she wondered and decided to look for him outside. She looked all over the vicinity of the village to the nearby forest, but no sign of the man was found.

As she walked her way toward the same stream where she first met Kuroro, the thought of the previous happening entered her mind. Now she is regretting of ever acting in that way.

Anxiety begun to build up as Kurapika fell on her feet. Tears started falling out of her eyes while her hands clutched on her white training pants. What if Kuroro got mad at her because of her selfishness and decided to leave her alone and to never come back?

As much as she wants to deny it, Kurapika has grown a liking to the man since he was taking good care of her without deception of any kind. She and Kuroro have built a good companionship throughout the days they spent together.

It's been actually over a week, almost two weeks since the incident had occurred when a while ago, she suddenly mused about something that she always felt missing, and then a thought of her mother entered her mind as she unconsciously reached her ear and so she remembered the earring. Right, the earring which should have been attached on her left ear. Only then she realized it was the same earring that was missing. That was where all the mess came from.

It's getting dark on the forest and Kurapika felt very tired of all the things that had happened. She decided to go back to the house thinking that if Kuroro really left her, then so be it. She cannot do anything about his decision. For now, all she needs is rest and deal with everything tomorrow. What Kurapika didn't expect is what she saw inside her room, or rather, who she saw when she arrived.

"Ku-Kuroro!" Kurapika called in disbelief, eyes wide at the sight of the man in front of her.

Kuroro was facing the table when Kurapika arrived and immediately turned upon hearing his name.

"Ah! Kurapika," he acknowledged.

"I thought," Kurapika started, still unable to believe the man's presence and Kuroro continued what she was about to say.

"I left you and will never come back?" He asked.

"But"

"Do you think I would leave you because of that happening?" He paused. "No, that will never happen. You are just too precious more than anything else," Kuroro stated with an unreadable expression.

"Eh?" Kurapika was unsure of the meaning of what she heard, unable comprehend the weight of Kuroro's words.

"Anyway," Kuroro continued and turned to the table to get a box that was laid on the top and returned to approach the girl as he handed her the box.

Confused at what is happening, Kurapika took the box without even knowing what is inside. She looked at Kuroro then at the box, then to Kuroro again with a frown on her face.

"Just open it," was only Kuroro's answer.

"O-ok," Kurapika hesitantly said and opened the box. How shocked she was upon seeing what is inside the box. Kurapika's eyes widened at the sight of the preserved scarlet eyes before her, on her own hands. She tried to speak, but no word came out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your mother's earring," Kuroro said in an unusually soft voice, "I won't be able to return it to you."

"You don't have to, Kuroro," Kurapika finally spoke, looking directly at Kuroro's eyes. "You don't have to," she repeated. "These scarlet eyes," she paused as she hugged the double cylinder and closed her teary eyes, "means a life to me." So much happiness was overflowing as tears began to fall out. She is glad because of the scarlet eyes on her hands and also because of the presence Kuroro himself.

"Kurapika," Kuroro whispered her name as he wiped the tears on her eyes with his thumb.

Kurapika opened her eyes again and stared at Kuroro's eyes intently.

Unable to withstand the girl's uncanny stare, Kuroro looked away. 'What now?' he mentally asked. The next thing that happened surprised him greatly as a sudden kiss landed on his cheek. When he looked at Kurapika, the girl was already looking away, massaging the bridge of her nose with a tinge of red visible on her face. That made Kuroro chuckle and thought of the words that he said a while ago, the truth behind those words that Kurapika… is Kuroro's most important.

With regards to the scarlet eyes, that was actually the one that they got from the York Shin auction months ago. Thanks to his spiders for keeping the item and not selling it to the black market and thanks to Machi's excellent instinct as she told them not to sell the scarlet eyes, having a feeling that they have to keep it for the meantime; she just don't know for what reason.

With that, Kuroro was able to retrieve the item from Shalnark, who was actually assigned for selling the artifacts they stole. He thought of giving the scarlet eyes to Kurapika to at least let the girl forget about the earring for a while and to let her free a little of her sufferings. He just didn't know that one pair of scarlet eyes will change the mood just like that. He was actually shocked at the girl's sudden action and was a little confused about it, but upon seeing the girl looking away with a faint blush on her face, he thought that the kiss must be her way of saying thanks.

* * *

So, what do you think?

Please review.

;)


	11. Kurapika's Nen

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 11 – Kurapika's Nen

"Your body's okay?" Kuroro suddenly asked as he looked to the girl who was following him as they are moving in fast phased, running on the forest and jumping from tree to tree like ninjas, bringing with them an empty pail on each of their hands.

"I'm fine," Kurapika answered. "And I really need an exercise and some adjustments."

"Adjustments?" Kuroro repeated questioningly as he looked back in front of him, hearing the sound of running water and saw the river getting larger as they approach forward and stopped in front of it.

Kurapika also stopped beside Kuroro and took a deep sigh which made Kuroro frown a little.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked in concern. Seriously, that short run would not exhaust someone like Kurapika, or so he thought.

"As I said, I just need an exercise and some adjustments."

"What adjustment exactly?"

"My movements," Kurapika answered as she approached the river further, put down the pail on her left hand and dipped the other pail on the river to get water and brought the pail to her side. She was about to get the other pail when she noticed Kuroro doing nothing except looking at her with calculating eyes.

"What?" she asked with a frown.

Kuroro put down the pails on the ground and walked the few steps toward Kurapika until he was just a foot away from the girl. "I guest we have to go back now," he said.

"Eh?" And Kuroro suddenly grabbed her body as he lifted her on his shoulder. "What? Wait! What are you doing!? Put me down!" she shouted, trying to wiggle herself out of Kuroro grasp as the man was taking her away from the riverbank back to the forest.

"As I said, we have to go back now," Kuroro said monotonously as he started to run in the forest.

"How about the water!? And please, put me down!" How she hated being carried like a sack of grains. It is like taking away all her graces and Kuroro surely know it. No one wants to be carried like that.

"I will get the water myself later."

They arrived in the village a few minutes after and only when they got in front of Kurapika's house that Kuroro put the girl down who was fuming silently, giving Kuroro a belligerent look with a small pout on her mouth.

Kuroro can't help but sigh at the girl's attitude. "I didn't have to do that if you told me everything." Honestly, Kurapika never told him the details of her condition. If anything, she wants it to keep in for herself, thinking that she can handle everything by herself. But Kuroro thinks otherwise. What is the sense of staying by her side if he would not help her?

Kurapika did not answer, but at least, the belligerent look and the pout were gone as she looked away from the man, still not wanting to tell him everything.

Sighing, Kuroro walked out of his position, passing by Kurapika toward the door. "If you are fine then, we will set out tomorrow," he said as he reached for the doorknob, opening the door and entered the house.

"What?" Kurapika snapped as he looked at Kuroro's retreating back.

"I said, we will set out tomorrow," Kuroro repeated as he continued on his way, not bothering to look at Kurapika, missing the look of anxiety the girl let out of her face.

'Tomorrow? That can't be,' she thought out with dread. It can't be. They cannot leave yet. No, she cannot leave yet. Her body is not fully recovered yet and her nen…. Surely, she will just become a burden to him if they would start their search immediately. What should she do now?

"Wait! Kuroro!" she called as she ran after the man and grabbed him through his wrist, making him turn to face her fully.

"What is it?"

"We cannot leave yet. I mean, you can, but I can't."

"Didn't you tell me you were fine?"

Kurapika shook her head vigorously and looked back at Kuroro. "Not perfectly fine."

"And?"

The sound that Kuroro made is clearly a demand for full explanation and Kurapika cannot do anything but to tell him everything.

When Kurapika was released from Gale's nen, she felt her body become lighter and less in force. In turn, all her movements that are natural for her before like jumping from tree to tree lost their balance while her punches and kicks lost their power. And then, her nen….

"I'm just wondering," Kuroro suddenly said.

"Of what?" Kurapika asked.

"Your nen," Kuroro stated, "I just thought, if your character was changed, did it also somehow affect your nen?

"Yes, it did," Kurapika answered. "My nen was affected."

"Then?" Kuroro asked her to continue.

"When I was still under Gale's nen," Kurapika continued, "my nen type was materialization, only when my eyes tuned to scarlet, I gain an access to my original nen. And now that I returned to my original character, of course, my nen also came back to normal. As an effect, the nen chain that I created was gone, leaving only the nen that created it on your heart, as well on my own."

"I see, " Kuroro said, understanding Kurapika's statements. "Then-"

"Wait," Kurapika cut off Kuroro's next sentence. "Come to think of it," she said, looking intently at Kuroro.

"What?" Kuroro asked.

"How did you able to use your nen that time, when my chain is still on your heart?" Kurapika asked, eyeing Kuroro in scrutiny.

Kuroro smiled. "Jyonen user, do you know them?

"Do you mean the nen exorcist? Kurapika asked, not knowing what they called.

"That's right."

"I expected them, but the point is… my chain was still on your heart."

"Truth to tell," Kuroro started, "your chain was still on my heart that time, but the conditions were gone."

"Eh?"

Flashback

After the jyonen user summoned a snake like nen monster, the nen monster started to attach itself at Kuroro's body and linger its head to his left chest where his heart is located. But then, after a few seconds, the nen monster suddenly disintegrated into fine sand and blown away into nothingness.

Taken aback at the sudden happening, Kuroro immediately looked at the jyonen user in front of him. What greeted him made him more surprised. In front of him, the jyonen user was withering like a skinny old man with only few hairs left on his head and eyes are bulging out of their socket and he fell dead on the ground.

Kuroro tuned his gaze to his left and saw the jester with the same expression as he had before. But then, the jester pouted.

"How unfortunate," Hisoka said to himself and left Kuroro, leaving him alone to ponder on himself, thinking that he would never be able to fight him if the jyonen failed to lift the chain in his heart.

End of flashback

Kurapika's eyes widened upon hearing the man's story. She never imagined that her nen can cause something like that. But then… Kurapika narrowed her eyes. "If that is the case, how did you learn that the conditions are gone?" She asked.

"I just felt it."

"Huh?"

"I just felt," Kuroro continued, "that, somehow, the nen on my heart was changed. So, I thought that maybe the conditions were gone, and I proved it to be correct."

"So, you're not sure?" Kurapika asked. "You just tried your luck, is that it?"

"That's right," Kuroro answered, smiling to the girl.

Kurapika rolled her eyes at the man's antics. "How lucky of you," She commented.

"Another thing," Kuroro ignored Kurapika's comment.

"Yes?"

"All Kuruta members are nen user, am I right?

"That is right," Kurapika answered. "But there are only a few who developed their nen as a weapon. Some of them are assigned as gatekeeper and the others are those who deal with the outsiders like merchants. Most of us are more on support type, like healing and protection. The best example of that is in this place. If you observed, this place is protected with nen barrier."

"So, that means, your original nen do not have any offensive ability." Kuroro deduced.

"Right, but it can have."

"That's good to hear," Kuroro smiled.

"What are you planning?" Kurapika asked in suspicion as she narrowed her eyes.

"You already know," Kuroro said, still with the same smile on his face.

Kurapika sighed at the man's antics. Well, it's not actually that bad to have at least one offensive nen ability, it was rather a good idea especially with her current situation.

As for Kuroro, knowing that Kurapika was being targeted by the mafia (Kurapika told him), it is better for her to develop her fighting ability. It is better for her to be able to fight on her own. Not that he don't trust Kurapika's fighting ability; she is actually a good fighter even without nen, but having her nen to develop an offensive ability is much better.

But for now, they will have to take the matter about the adjustments that Kurapika needs and the nen development will follow.

* * *

Comment?

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Violent reactions? (That's include grammar.)

Please review ;)


	12. Beginning of a new journey

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 12 - Beginning of a new journey

The day is bright with the wind blowing the trees gently on the 'what seems to never end' forest in Rukuso Province and the birds singing and playing around. It is indeed a good day and a good time for hunting. And that is the reason why Kuroro and Kurapika are walking with keen attention on their surroundings in the same forest.

They continued walking like that until Kurapika suddenly stopped.

Noticing that the girl is not following anymore, Kuroro turned to see what is keeping her. What he saw made him suddenly run to the girl.

Kurapika is in a kneeling position, with her head down to her knee and her hands on her stomach. Cold sweat is drenching her forehead and pain is visible on her face.

"What happened?" Kuroro asked as he kneeled before Kurapika and reached for her forehead to see if she has a fever again.

Kurapika raised her head a little as she removes Kuroro's hand from her forehead to look at him. "It's- it's nothing," she answered weakly.

"What is nothing with that posture, Kurapika?" Kuroro asked seriously.

Kurapika looked away, blushing with embarrassment. "It's just… nothing," her voice is wavering.

"What is it?" he insisted.

"You don't have to know!" Kurapika shouted. 'Why should it be so painful like this?' she asked herself.

Kuroro sighed. 'Like always,' he thought. "Alright, never mind," he said as he picked up Kurapika and carried her in his arms and dash off toward the village.

Kurapika was a bit taken aback at the man's sudden action, but also glad at the same time. She really needs to go back. It's just really so painful. It feels like she is being killed very slowly from the inside. Thanks to Kuroro's inhuman speed, they arrive in front of the usual house in no time.

"Now, tell me what is happening and what to do," Kuroro ordered at the girl in his arms.

"You can put me down," Kurapika said.

But Kuroro stayed still, ignoring Kurapika's statement. He would not let go of her until she tell him what is happening with her. Being clueless on what is happening, he would not accept anything like that again.

And again Kurapika cannot do anything as she sighed in defeat, feeling so weakened with the pain on her stomach.

"Alright," she surrendered, but she is not looking at Kuroro's eyes as a tinge of red became visible on her face. "I am… I am," she started to clutch on Kuroro's cloth, burying her face on the man's chest. "Having my period," she completed her sentence in a low voice.

"Period?" Kuroro asked, furrowing his eyebrows, having no idea what she is talking about.

"Menstrual period," Kurapika pointed out.

"Oh!" Kuroro remembered it being mentioned by one of the girls among the spiders. "Then?" he stared at her, asking what to do. Of course, he never knew how to deal with women's thing. He never cared about it. But this time is different.

"Nothing much, really." As she said, Kurapika gave only a few instructions. They immediately get back to the usual room for Kurapika to get her what she needs like clean clothes. Since Kurapika's own clothes became smaller for her, she went on using her mother's clothes, and fortunately, they are fit for her, and whatever needs is that (and fortunately again, they went to the nearest town the other day and bought everything that they might need).

After that, Kuroro helped her to go to the bathroom, but of course, Kurapika did not let Kuroro to enter.

"Stay there," she said as she closed the door, leaving Kuroro outside the bathroom.

Actually, Kurapika has been anticipating her period coming since she returned from being a girl. And then just yesterday, she started to feel a little pain in her stomach. She just didn't know that would be it and never thought that it would be that painful. Well, to think of it, she never had her period for two years. That must be the reason for it.

000

"Some of the stuffs here are not made here," Kuroro, who is now sitting on the usual chair in Kurapika's room, suddenly commented, "just like those books," he said, pointing at the bookshelf.

Kurapika on the other hand is lying on the bed, feeling a little better that before. "Of course, we do not create books here. And then, as I told you before, there are some of us who are assigned to deal with merchants."

"Some of them doesn't look like obtained from merchants, though," Kuroro asked, noting that there are some books that cannot just be obtained so easily, especially from a merchant. A merchant cannot just obtain those kinds of books, unless that merchant is a hunter or the likes.

"Because they were not obtained from a merchant."

"Then?"

"When a Kuruta member turned 16," Kurapika started, "they will receive permission to go outside, but not before passing certain exams. Most of them would take the exam to seek new knowledge and go back with different kinds of stuffs on their hands."

"I see."

00000

It was during his aimless walk in a crowded alley when Shalnark suddenly heard his phone ring from his pocket. Casually taking the phone he looked at the screen and an excited smile graced his face upon seeing the caller ID. He immediately pressed the answer button and put the phone on his ear.

"Yes Danchou?" the ever cheerful Shalnark asked.

[Shalnark, I need you to contact everyone and tell them to gather at the York Shin headquarter, three days from now.]

"Ok Danchou, I'll do as you said."

000

Kuroro pushed the end call button on his phone and placed it in his pocket. He turned to his left and saw Kurapika with her head tilted to the sky, eyes closed while murmuring something.

"The shining sun of the sky,

The green trees of the earth.

Our bodies are created from the earth.

Our souls originated from the heavens.

The sun and moon shines on our limbs,

And the ground moistens our body,

Giving this body to the wind that blows across the world.

Thank God for the miracle,

And the Kuruta territories.

Wishing for everlasting peace in our souls,

I desire to share happiness with my people,

And desire to share their sadness.

Please bless the Kuruta tribe forever,

Let us pray this upon our scarlet eyes."

Kurapika opened her eyes and looked at Kuroro's direction.

"Ready?" Kuroro asked.

"Yes."

Having decided that it's time to leave and start their search for Gale Altair and to collect the remaining scarlet eyes, Kuroro discussed with Kurapika that they will be having a meeting the members of Genei Ryodan to discuss with them about their circumstances and their decision of becoming companion, since they have the same goal and it is best for them to help each other. And of course to give Kurapika a chance to ask them whatever she wanted to ask.

As for Kurapika's friends, Kurapika decided not to tell them about their circumstances. She doesn't want to involve them with her problems.

"Do you have everything prepared?"

Kurapika smiled at that, "everything is with Timcanpy," she said.

Ah, Timcanpy. Kuroro smiled upon hearing that name, remembering the first time he saw Timcanpy.

Flashback

It happened while Kuroro sitting beside the bookshelf in Kurapika's room, reading a book (as his hobby during his free time), something suddenly caught his attention. It was a small, golden ball with four, stubby legs, a long tail that ends in a thick swirl, and two feathered wings. A cross insignia adorns it's "face", and above it are two small horns.

[Kuroro]

Kuroro blink. Did he hear Kurapika's voice?

[Kuroro]

"Kurapika?" he asked, looking at the flying golden ball in front of him.

[Yes, it's me]

Kuroro narrowed his eyes at the flying object. "What happened to you?" he asked.

[Ha ha ha] he heard a soft laughter [Nothing happen to me, I'm just using my telepath.]

"Telepath?"

[It's one of the scarlet eyes' ability. And that nen golem is my extension.]

"A nen golem, eh," Kuroro said, poking the golem with his index finger.

[It is called Timcanpy. It bears some of the abilities of my chains. In addition, it can open a void space that can store any things. But for now I can only open the void space if I use the scarlet eyes.]

Kuroro stopped poking the golem on hearing that.

[So, what can you say about it?]

"Nice," he commented.

[It's a dedication for you.]

"Me?"

[The cross on the forehead.]

Kuroro chuckled. "Well, thanks. How thoughtful of you."

End of flashback

"Well then, shall we?" he asked.

Kurapika smiled. "Let's go."

Kuroro nodded. And with Kurapika, they make their way out of the village and toward the forest.

And so a their new journey begins.

* * *

That's all for now.

Please review.


	13. Leorio's Messages

I forgot to mention in the last chapter. Timcanpy is from D. Gray Man.

* * *

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 13 –Leorio's Messages

They are walking silently at each other's side, still on the border of the mountains, when Kurapika suddenly stopped and grabbed Kuroro's left hand with her right hand, stopping him from his walk.

"What is it?" Kuroro asked as he looked at Kurapika.

"I just want to try this," she said.

'To hold a hand?' Kuroro asked to himself.

Kurapika closed her eyes as she started to concentrate her nen. A few seconds later, her back started to glow and white wings started to form.

'Behold the wings spread to the wind that blows', Kuroro remembered a certain line from the prediction he made as he observed the girl intently. Now, he confirmed it, that the companion he was seeking is indeed Kurapika.

After Kurapika's nen wings were completed, she opened her eyes, but they are now burning scarlet. Then, she looked at Kuroro.

Looking at Kurapika's scarlet eyes never bored Kuroro, and seeing them now, he cannot help but to be awed by their magnificence.

As Kurapika looked at the sky, her wings started to move. Kuroro was still observing the girl when his body suddenly felt lighter and lighter, which make him look at his feet and saw that he is floating, that they are floating, that their feet are taking their distance away from the ground, away from the forest and toward the clouds on the sky.

000

Their hair is dancing with the wind that is blowing across the sky, upon their body, giving them the refreshing sense of the slightly cold air. The clouds are moving with them at a considerable speed, covering the entire sky. The ray that passes through the crevices of the clouds is sending then the warm touch of the early morning sun.

Kuroro feels like there is no gravity at all, as if he is actually flying by himself (only that, he doesn't have wings). He looked at the girl beside him and saw that Kurapika is still concentrating on her nen. He wanted to ask Kurapika what kinds of nen ability she is using, but he chose to stay quiet. He doesn't want to distract the girl on her concentration, or else, he would not know what might happen to them if he distracted her.

They had been flying for an hour and exhaustion is becoming visible to the girl.

"Let's stop there, Kurapika," Kuroro said as he saw the border of another country and Kurapika responded by flying downward as she looked for a good place to land on and decided to land near the entrance of a town. Kuroro looked back at Kurapika upon landing as he noticed her short, but hard breathings. He doesn't know if that was due to her nen or the use of her scarlet eyes or maybe both.

"You're ok?" he asked.

Kurapika nodded. "Let's go," she said. And they started to walk toward the town.

Although Kuroro did not say anything, Kurapika fully knows why the man told her to land in that country. It's not because he has some business there or there is something that he wanted to get in that place. He wanted her to rest. Surely, Kuroro notice her getting tired from the flight.

So, instead of flying, they looked for another way of travelling which includes riding bus or a taxi or whatever they find to get them to the airport where they will ride an airplane that will land them to York Shin and another taxi to get them to the main city. That was actually the plan on the first place, considering the distance between Rukuso and York Shin which are at each other opposite of the world.

Even though, they took only four to five hours to get them to the said city, the time frame from east to west (York Shin is a western country) is a good 12 hours, which made them arrived at night.

They are now in a hotel, in a room with two beds. Kurapika is on one bed, sleeping silently. Kuroro on the other hand is sitting on the other bed with his back against the wall, facing the door, with a book on his hands.

Kuroro stayed like that for a while when three consecutive knocks was heard from the door.

"Delivery!" he heard after the knocks.

Kuroro put his book at his side for a while as he immediately got off from the bed and walk toward the door to open it. Upon opening the door, a man in a hotel uniform greeted him and handed him his orders.

The light sleeper Kurapika fluttered open her eyes and seated herself up on the bed as she rubbed away the sleepiness off her eyes. She looked at the clock on the wall above the table; the time reads 8:00 AM. Kurapika averted her gaze to the door and saw Kuroro closing it, bringing with him a tray with two sets of plated food and bottled water.

"Good morning, Kurapika," he greeted.

"Good morning, Kuroro."

00000

"Senritsu!" a man in blue, business attire and wearing spectacles over his eyes, called to the retreating Senritsu, who was about to enter a train station, but looked back to the person who suddenly called her for the last time. "If you're able to contact him," the person said, "Please, call me right away."

"I'll do as you said, Leorio," Senritru answered and bid her goodbye to the man.

Left alone by himself, Leorio cannot help but sigh. He sighed out of anxiety. Yes, He was worried and he is losing his patience for a certain friend of his.

'Where in the end of the world are you, Kurapika?'

00000

"What is bugging you?" Kuroro asked to the girl beside him. They are now inside a mall, as Kuroro decided to look for more appropriate clothes for Kurapika. He even insisted that Kurapika should stop wearing her tribal clothes for a while until they resolved her circumstances as a wanted living artifact. Well, the red garment she is wearing is acceptable. It is a normal garment after all. Her other clothes are out of the question.

They had been shopping for about two hours now, but Kurapika is not really into it. She seems not with herself actually which make Kuroro ask that question.

"Eh?" Kurapika asked as she looked at Kuroro, slightly taken aback at the sudden question. And Kuroro is right; she's been out of herself, thinking over something.

"I asked, what is bugging you?"

Kurapika looked at her feet before answering. "I was thinking about a message from my friend."

"What's about it?"

Kurapika sighed, but told him the reason anyway.

Flashback

It happened right after finishing her breakfast when Kurapika got off of her bed and walked toward the table with the plate on her hand. Putting the plate on the table, she looked at a certain object that was lying silently on the said table. It was her phone with a plugged charger connected to it. She picked the phone up, removed the charger and turned the phone on.

It's been a while since the last time she was able to use her phone again. Since Kurapika was too busy on practicing her nen when they were still in Rukuso, she did not able to answer all the incoming calls or even read her messages. Not that she has no time to do it. It just, it didn't enter her mind to read her messages as she left it in her bag until its battery emptied because of the rings that Kurapika never heard because of her absence the time it was ringing.

As the phone turned on, the first thing that Kurapika saw from the screen are alerts for missed calls and messages. Kurapika brows the call history and find out that the missed calls are mostly from Leorio and some from Senritsu. After that, she opened the inbox to read her messages. They are all from Leorio and the contents are as follows:

[Where the end of the world are you, Kurapika?]

[Why are you not showing up?]

[Do you even know that Gon is in dying state?]

Kurapika's eyes widened in horror with the last message, of course she do not know that.

'What happened?' she asked herself. Her musing was only distracted by Kuroro when he called her and told her about his shopping plan, so Kurapika decided to resolve the problem afterward; only that, the thought won't leave her mind.

End of flashback

"I see," Kuroro said. "Why don't you call your friend, then?" he asked.

Kurapika nodded with a small smile on her face. "I will do that," she said, "and thank you. I felt half of my burden was lifted from me."

Kuroro smiled. "You're welcome."

00000

Leorio was having his dinner on a mini restaurant when he heard his phone rung from his pocket. He took the phone out and looked at its screen.

"Kurapika!?" he said out loud as he read the caller's name in surprise which made the other customers look at him. Leorio looked at his surroundings, feeling the stares of the people sitting near his table. He laughed an embarrassed laugh as he bowed in an apologetic manner, scratching the back of his head. As he returned his attention to the phone, he pressed the answer button and placed it over his ear.

"Kurapika," he called the name.

[Leorio] the voice from the other side of the phone acknowledged.

But that made Leorio frown. "Kurapika?" he asked. He is not sure if it is really Kurapika he is talking with. Somehow, the voice he heard is different. If his ear is not deceiving him, the voice he heard was definitely from a female. It somehow has Kurapika's voice in it, but it is too feminine.

[Yes, it's me.]

Itching to ask a certain question to his friend, Leorio disregarded the female tone of the voice and asked his question. "Why are you not answering my calls?" he almost shouted.

[I'm sorry about that. I just became too busy lately. I'm sorry, ok?]

Leorio sighed. "Never mind. What happened to you anyway?"

[That's a long story, but I can tell you one thing.]

"Yes?"

[I returned to my original self.]

"Huh?" Leorio frowned.

[I returned to being a girl.]

"What!?" he shouted as he stood up which caused the other customers to stare at him for the second time.

000

Kurapika just managed to get her phone away from her ear when Leorio shouted. She is currently on the hotel's rooftop, alone with herself.

[Sorry, sorry] she heard Leorio's apology as she put the phone back over her ear.

"Alright, but that is not the reason why I called you," she said.

[Eh?]

"It's about Gon. What happened to him?"

[Ah, he got himself in the bridge of death because of his own nen. But he's fine now. Killua found a way to cure him, so you don't have to worry.]

"What caused his nen to get him into that state?" she frowned.

000

Leorio can't help but sigh at the thought. "It's more like because of hatred and for revenge," he murmured, but Kurapika herd nonetheless.

[Hatred?... Revenge?... Why?]

And so Leorio told her everything that had happened. He told her about Gon's friend, Kaito, being killed by a chimera ant and then as Gon, Killua and others infiltrated the palace where the chimera king was staying, Gon killed the chimera using an unbelievably strong nen that he should not have at that time. As an effect, his life force had been sucked by his own nen, reducing his body to an unrecognizable state. And as he said earlier, Killua found a way to cure him, but that is out of Leorio's knowledge. He doesn't know how the healing was made.

000

"I see," Kurapika said after hearing the story.

[Now I am finished with my part, would you mind telling me what happened to you?]

"About that, I'll tell you in due time. Bye," and she ended the call.

* * *

Alright! This is more that 2000 words! But still, Chapter 7 (Five years worth of tears) is my longest chapter which is more that 3500 words.

Anyway, please review. ;)


	14. Reunion

Scarlet Memories

Reminiscence 14 - Reunion

The three-day period of anxiously and excitedly waiting for the appointed reunion of the whole band of the Genei Ryodan finally came to an end.

Sitting on the pile of rocks in their old hideout, Shalnark was busy mussing on himself while looking silently at the other spiders, observing them in whatever activities they are doing. All of them arrived earlier than expected. Machi, Nobunaga, Phinks and Kalluto (Hisoka's replacement) are playing card games while the others are sitting on the other piles of rocks.

How long has it been since the last time they had a meeting with all the members of Genei Ryodan? Two years? Right, the last time they had the opportunity to have the whole band gathering was two years ago when their Danchou decided to make an all-out infiltration to the underground auction.

They encountered some problems at first when they reached the vault where the items for auction are supposed to be kept, empty. In the end, they manage to take all the items with them during the auction as Kortopi copied them one by one and left the fake items to the care of Pakunoda and the others as they continued the auction by themselves.

But that was not the end of their struggle. That was only the beginning. Everything started when a dispute between the Danchou and Nobunaga arose. It was about whether they should stay and confront the one who killed Uvogin or go on their way out of the city before the prediction could happen: the prediction that half of the spiders will die.

Of course, the Danchou gained the upper hand. Many things had happened after that. The confrontation if two kids, which Danchou's group captured and brought with them to Beitacle Hotel. The abduction of their Danchou by none other than the killer of Uvogin, the chain user: Kurapika. Shalnark completely remembers all the memories that Pakunoda had shot into his mind.

While the Danchou is under Kurapika's nen, and that he was prohibited to have any kind of communication with the spiders, Hisoka became the middle man between them.

With the help of their new member, Kalluto, they manage to find a nen exorcist. But according to Hisoka, the exorcist died during the removal of Kurapika's chain. He did not tell anything about Kuroro after that, saying that he lost his interest.

He never thought that the exorcist managed to remove the condition and Shalnark was utterly shocked when his Danchou called him, telling him that the condition was indeed removed, but not the chain. He also ordered him not to tell the others about the matter for a while. Of course, Shalnark respected his Danchou's decision so he just obeyed.

But when called him again to call all the members of the Genei Ryodan for a meeting, Shalnark did have no choice but to tell them everything. He ever received a threat from Phinks, Nobunaga and Feitan that they will kill him if his statement is not true. Shalnark cannot help himself, but sigh upon the memory.

His musings and everyone's activities were distracted by the sound of echoing footfalls as they stopped on whatever activities they are doing and looked at the entrance of the room. The sound the thumping became louder and louder, and as expected, the most awaited member of their small band arrived at the entrance.

The leader of Genei Ryodan, Kuroro Lucifer, entered the room. He was wearing his usual 'Danchou attire' except for his hair that was left hanging down. That is unusual for him especially when they are having a meeting like this. Moreover, he was being followed by a girl who somehow resembles the chain user. Or is that actually the chain user? But the chain user is a boy.

The girl is wearing a white long-sleeved blouse with a blue ribbon as a necktie, a blue, knee length skirt, a pair of white, long socks, keeping her knees out of view and a pair of blue shoes.

Puzzled by the girl's appearance, Phinks and Nobunaga looked at their Danchou then at the girl and back to their Danchou. Shisuku, Bonolenov and Kortopi only blinked as usual. Machi, Shalnark and Franklin looked at the girl intently. Feitan narrowed dangerously his already small eyes. Kalluto, being a new member, contented himself in observed the others actions.

Kuroro turned his head slightly as he glanced at the girl on his right and saw her intensely looking at a certain direction. He also looked at that direction and saw a girl (or was it a boy? Kuroro is not sure about that, but that kid was the one who found the jyonen user for him) sitting on a pile of rocks, observing the others.

"Danchou," a girl's voice broke the long silence that stretched throughout the room.

Kuroro and Kurapika looked at the direction of the voice and saw a blue haired girl jumping from her position to the very floor. "Yes Machi," Kuroro answered.

"That girl, is she the chain user?" Machi asked in a monotonous voice, gesturing at the girl beside their Danchou. And the surroundings become suddenly tensed as everyone looked with different expressions at the subject of the question. Some (Phinks and especially Nobunaga) looked at her just like how Feitan looked (and is still looking dangerously) at her. Others looked at her in utter curiosity.

Shalnark was shocked by Machi's question as his eyes widened a bit. How can that girl be the chain user? It is true that they have the striking resemblance, but the girl doesn't at all fit the description of the chain user physically based on what he remembers from the memory.

But then, there was that time when Kuroro himself requested him to bring him the pair of scarlet eyes, but the Danchou never told him the reason for his request. Did he give them to the girl? But it the girl is indeed the chain user, why she is acting as if she is not facing her enemies? Or else she's just acting to gain their trust. But then again, the Danchou is with her. Faking her neutrality is futile. Shalnark do not think that she can deceive their Danchou that easily. No, no one can deceive him so easily.

Shalnark averted his gaze to their Danchou and saw a small smile on his lips before answering Machi's question.

"Yes, she is," Kuroro answered, but was immediately countered by the said chain user.

"Formerly," Kurapika emphasized as she crossed her hands and turned her head sideward, eyes closed.

Kuroro glanced at her to see her reaction while the others became even more tensed.

"Kisama!" came a growling voice, which added to the tensed surrounding. *

Kurapika opened her eyes as she turned her head to the members of Genei Ryodan, looking for the owner of the voice and there she found it. She doesn't have to ask for confirmation. It was already obvious. It was a man in a samurai outfit, clutching the hilt of his katana, ready to attack.

Kurapika stared at the man with her indifferent mask, but annoyed deep inside. The other members warned him not to do anything stupid. Kuroro also looked at the samurai and sighed.

"This is not the time for that, Nobunaga," he said.

But then, Kurapika sighed. "Alright," she suddenly spoke which gained everyone's attention. "I know I did something bad to your group. Worst, I killed two of you. Not that I thought you deserved it because you massacred my clan. If anything, I regret it. I do not know if you can forgive me, but, I'm sorry for everything that I have done to you." She bowed.

With that, the tension surrounding them was gone and was replaced by confusion. They never expected that, even Kuroro didn't. For someone like Kurapika doing that, they cannot help but to look at her in bewilderment.

The spiders looked at each other, as if asking each other if they heard the statement correctly and then back to Kurapika. Nobunaga had also removed his hand from his katana when he heard her sorry and rather, made a bewildered expression as the other did while Kuroro's gaze never left Kurapika as curiosity filled his attention.

Kurapika straighten up and looked at them, hoping for their acceptance.

"Well?" she asked.

Machi sighed as she recovered. "You don't have to ask for an apology, you know?" Moreover, she was right about what she said, that they deserve to be punished because of their wrong doings. "We're the one who should ask for it," she said, which gained everyone's attention this time, including Kuroro.

He never expects the usual cold personality of the girl could change so easily and that was all because of Kurapika. That much indicates that Kurapika has such a charisma that can turn enemies into comrades if she so desires.

"Machi!" Nobunaga protested.

The others stayed silent, not wanting to say anything about the matter. But Machi is different. She has a lot to say.

"Let's face it Nobu," she said as she glanced at the samurai and return to Kurapika afterward. "Something is really wrong about the request to annihilate the Kuruta clan." Then, she turned her gaze to Kuroro. "Danchou didn't really leave a message for us about the mission to attack the Kuruta clan. Am I right, Danchou?"

Again, the surrounding tensed at Machi's question. They never thought about that. They never considered the message was a fake.

"I didn't," Kuroro answered.

"But they told us-!" Nobunaga started.

"They deceived us," Franklin cut him. "Do you remember the teleportation guy we had hunted down? He is probably one of them."

"Was that your intuition back then, Machi?" Feitan asked this time.

"Yes," Machi answered, still looking at their Danchou. "But I never said it out," she looked at Feitan. "I don't think you would listen to me even if I did. We're still a new group at that time anyway," she said and looked back at the two people in front of them.

Kurapika and Kuroro looked at each other and the latter nodded to the former and both looked at the blue haired girl.

"Machi is your name, right?" Kurapika asked.

"It is."

"Can you tell me what had really happened that time?"

000

*Kisama - (Japanese of you) the most impolite way of addressing someone

* * *

Finally done with chapter 14!

So, what do you thing so far? Did I forget anything?

Hope to see more reviews.

Good day!

(•‿•) 


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